General | 2/11/2020 2:15:47 PM
A group of 32 student-athletes from all eight Empire 8 institutions attended the 2020 Empire 8 Student-Athlete Leadership Summit on Friday, Jan. 31 and Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020 from Woodcliff Hotel and Spa in Fairport, NY. During the 2020 event, student-athletes heard presentations focused on mental health and participated in a variety of leadership-based activities throughout the two-day event.
“I learned so much valuable information about mental health, on campus and in the community,” said Houghton senior baseball player Ronnie Lott. “I’m excited to take some of the activities we did and work on them with my teammates, so that we can really break the stigma regarding mental health.”
The summit is an annual event within the league which is made possible through the NCAA Strategic Initiative Grant Tier II funds. The objective is to pro provide student-athletes from around the Empire 8 to bring campus personnel together from around the league to integrate and collaborate on ideas.
Will Heininger, Outreach Coordinator for Mental Health at the University of Michigan Depression Center, served as the keynote speaker for the event. Heininger was a four-year letterman for the University of Michigan Football team from 2008-2011, who publicly shared his story of overcoming major depression and anxiety while playing for the Wolverines and excelling as a student-athlete. In 2014, Heininger helped found and launch the Athletes Connected program at UM, a comprehensive program that supports student-athlete mental health and wellbeing. Heininger works with the Outreach & Education team at the Depression Center to deliver relatable mental health education, and improve outcomes in populations such as schools, businesses, athletic departments, teams, and communities.
“I feel fortunate to be able to present to this diverse, bright group of current and future leaders from the Empire 8,” said Heininger. “The post-presentation dialogue with Empire 8 student-athletes and administrators was rich. They asked insightful questions and shared openly, as we connected the worlds of Athletics and Mental Health. It was so encouraging to watch and hear these young leaders take in and process the information - some from presenters, some from each other - and make connections to their own lives.”
John Rigney, Senior Counselor/Outreach Coordinator in Health and Counseling Services from Nazareth College, also presented to the students about mental health education, which was the theme of the 2020 Empire 8 Student-Athlete Summit. In addition, breakout sessions were available for the student-athletes with topics ranging from core values, being a team captain and resume building.
“I thought our student-athletes did a tremendous job engaging both presenters and really took a major interest in learning more about breaking the stigma surrounding mental health,” said Joe Venniro, Empire 8 Associate Commissioner. “Will (Heininger) and John (Rigney) are really passionate about mental health, which, in turn, made for excellent discussion.”
“The Empire 8 Conference is wise for focusing on its student-athletes’ mental health and well-being, for at least two reasons,” said Heininger. “First, it’s just the right thing to do, period. But beyond being ethical, it’s also strategic of them. If you have a group of student-athletes who are not just physically strong, but are developed holistically, they will be more resilient; better able to recognize stress and use it adaptively; more comfortable with adversity; and more likely to be able to ask for help when needed. All of those things contribute to performance.”
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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